0000000001268874
AUTHOR
Michele Roccato
Facing natural disasters through the endorsement of authoritarian attitudes
Abstract We analyzed the relations between exposure to news describing a natural disaster and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) with 241 Italian adults, surveyed twice, before and after a severe earthquake. Our results were compatible with the idea that the exposure to earthquake news led to an increase in RWA among people who had low, but not among who had relatively high, authoritarian levels before the event. We discuss the findings in terms of compensatory control, and highlight strengths and limitations of the study.
The correlation between right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation: The moderating effects of political and religious identity
In a secondary analysis performed on a representative sample of the Italian population (N = 887), we examined the correlation between right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO), analyzing the moderating effect exerted on such correlation by political interest and religion importance. RWA and SDO showed a positive, significant correlation (r = .38), moderated by political interest (which heightened it) and religion importance (which lowered it). Limits, implications, and possible developments of the research are discussed.
Predicting right-wing authoritarianism via personality and dangerous world beliefs: Direct, indirect, and interactive effects
In an Italian sample (N=483, 78.23% women, mean age = 27.61 years old), we used structural equation modeling with latent variables and interactions to analyze the direct, indirect, and interactive effects exerted on right-wing authoritarianism by the Big Five factors of personality and by dangerous world beliefs. Openness, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness exerted direct effects on right-wing authoritarianism; the first two relationships were partially mediated by dangerous world beliefs. Most importantly, the relationship between dangerous world beliefs and right-wing authoritarianism was moderated by Openness: dangerous world beliefs significantly influenced right-wing authoritarianism s…
Symbolic threat fosters right-wing authoritarianism only among low authoritarians
In a sample of 95 U.S. undergraduates (49.5% women, Mage = 20.99 years, SD = 3.48), we analyzed the effects of symbolic threat on right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). We used data from an experimental study in which negative political attacks on one's own favorite candidate were considered as symbolic threats. A hierarchic moderated regression showed that, as with societal threat, symbolic threat fostered an increase in RWA only among participants with low initial scores on RWA. This increase did not depend on the persuasive effect of being exposed to negative campaigning. The implications, limitations, and possible developments of the research are discussed. © 2014 Cises.
Societal Threat to Safety, Compensatory Control, and Right-Wing Authoritarianism
We analyzed directly and indirectly the relationships between societal threat to safety, perceived control, and the increase in right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) in two studies. In Study 1 (national sample of the Italian population, N=1,169), we performed a longitudinal analysis structured into three waves (January 2003, September 2004, and January 2005). A moderated regression analysis showed that RWA increased from 2003 to 2005 as a function of perceived societal threat to safety more among low- than among high RWA scorers. In experimental Study 2 (Italian university students, N=131) a moderated mediation model showed loss of perceived control to mediate the relation between societal thre…